The Charm Offensive cover art

The Charm Offensive

A Novel

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About this listen

 A 2022 Audie Award Finalist

A BEST BOOK PICK BY * HARPER’S BAZAAR * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“Will sweep you off your feet.” —PopSugar

In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—for fans of Red, White & Royal Blue and Heated Rivalry—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.

Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.

Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.

As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told. Contemporary Contemporary Romance Multicultural Romance Romantic Comedy Comedy Feel-Good Heartfelt Witty

Critic reviews

"Adam depicts Dev as a mix of dreamy and dramatic, showing his idealistic side and his love for the show. Adam’s flowing narration smooths out the author’s occasional didacticism. Halstead voices Charlie Winshaw, the show’s star and a tech genius who suffers from OCD and generalized anxiety. Halstead accurately represents Charlie’s stilted TV performance, hesitant speech, and withdrawn manner. Cassandra Campbell delivers the daily script updates, her voice creating needed contrast among the sections. With meticulous attention to Dev and Charlie’s singular romance, Adam and Halstead paint a lively picture of reality TV."
All stars
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It’s a compelling story set on a cheesy premise but brought to life by the character development and narration

I can’t stop thinking about this book

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Amazing queer rep (especially the demisexual main character), great story and characters. Had lots of fun

Amazing!

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This audiobook really spoke to me with its references of dev’s depression and charlie’s OCD.
Moreover, it didn’t really just portray OCD as the typical personality trait of needing everything ‘organised’ instead it revolves about this disorder in more detail making it more realistic. I also like how honest devs depression felt - it wasn’t just a small wave of sadness as it can be portrayed in media - instead it lasts, for a long time; as it does have a lasting impact. Ergo it showed how people can appear happy and even sometimes feel those types of emotions even with depression.
I really thank this author for this beautiful queer representation which I always feel that I am missing. This wonderful journey was absolutely fabulous,
:)

Absolutely Fabulous

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The story was amazing and its characters too; everything felt very realistic despite the story’s setting. It was lovely listening to the novel too, and I finished the story very quickly.

Amazing story, amazing characters

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great performance and cute story but needed editing down in my opinion as the story did drag in places.

cute but a tad too long

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